THE MUNGOOSE 



The Large Grey Mungoose 



(Mungos cafer) 

 Syn. : Herpestes cafer 



Also known as the Grijse Muishond ; Kommetje-gat-kat ; 

 Black-tailed Mungoose ; Kafir Mungoose ; Umvuzi of 

 Amaxosa ; Mvunti of Swazis. 



The Large Grey Mungoose is so called because 

 it is of comparatively large size, and is speckled, 

 the predominating hue being grey. This mun- 

 goose inhabits Africa from the Cape to the southern 

 borders of the Sahara. It is found in all parts of 

 South Africa, but is nowhere actually abundant. 

 It is most frequently met with in the more or less 

 wooded districts where the rainfall is plentiful, 

 which is mainly on the eastern side of South Africa. 

 In Natal I often saw it in my wanderings in the 

 bush- veld. For the twelve years I was at the 

 Natal Museum we received an average of five or 

 six annually from the districts around Pietermar- 

 itzburg. 



It is a shy and secretive animal, hiding as a rule 

 by day and venturing forth at sundown and during 

 the night. In quiet, secluded localities it ventures 

 forth at all times of the day, but in the vicinity of 

 man it is strictly nocturnal, for it has a wholesome 

 fear not only of him, but his dogs. Its favourite 

 hiding-places are clefts and crannies in rocks, down 

 the deserted burrows of other animals, and in dense 



21 



